Thanks for stopping by Refresh with Dawn Herring. I hope you enjoy browsing through the postings and get to know me a bit better.
I'm Dawn Herring, host of #JournalChat Live and Links Edition for all things journaling on Twitter and Facebook. I'm also a writer and artist focused on refreshment, journaling, and positive change. Email me at refreshwithdawnherring@gmail.com with any questions or comments you may have. Thanks and enjoy your stay!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The buses will be running again down our side street every morning and every afternoon. I don't need an alarm clock since those diesel engines are always noisy enough to get my attention. And they signal the close of the school day.

It doesn't feel like school weather-wise. We still have another month of summer left, technically according to the calendar, and here in North Texas, we'll have summer temps for another month after summer has officially given way to autumn.

Yesterday I could hear the high school band practicing up the road from our home. (We happen to live in the school zone between the yellow flashing lights where you have to slow down to 20 mph.)

Of course, my kids continued to enjoy their summer sleep despite the advice of getting up earlier to acclimate to the new early morning school schedule so they don't feel like zombies on the first day.

Even though I've been a good example to them getting up at the time I normally would on a school day (not that they've seen me; I just brag ;)). One advantage to an earlier rise time: getting more work done around the house. Crossing off more things on my 'to do' list.

But, do you know what I discovered? I've made a habit of defining my day by what's on my agenda and what appointments are on my schedule. I've found myself waking up in the morning and thinking, OK, what do I have to do today? Within a short time, I'm verifying appointments in my book to make sure I don't forget where I need to be and when.

I'm always relieved when I see a blank space. Aahhh, open territory. Can stay home and get stuff done.

But, like my husband always reminds me, when I wake up in the morning, I need to think about what I want to do. What is my purpose for today? What are my life goals?

Life is not just about work. In fact, instead of thinking in the living to work mindset, I need to think about working to live. I need to define my days by what I want to accomplish. What activity leaves me feeling satisfied?

I realize that each day brings a certain amount of time to it, and I want to be a good steward of every minute. Today, there is a purpose for my time. It's up to me to discover and renew that purpose.

If I don't start my day with that renewed purpose in mind, my time gets filled with activity that isn't necessarily what is best. Sometimes I feel like I'm going around in circles, wasting precious energy that could be used toward better, more creative pursuits, ones that move me forward and give me that sense of knowing I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. That space when I'm in my element and feel good about what I've accomplished.

It says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.

There is a time for work, a time for leisure, and a time for family. And most of all, time with the Creator, the One who created time.

That is why I seek Him in how I can be the best steward of my time every day.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Accountability: to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions, responsible.

When most people think of accountability, they often negatively associate it with answering to others, such as a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or, in most cases, a boss. As a writer, you are your own boss, which is one of the reasons that you need to be accountable to yourself. And it can be a positive experience rather than a negative one.

The first step in being accountable to yourself as a writer is setting goals for your writing and keeping track of projects you want to finish. Incurring a deadline for yourself can help

motivate you in this area. This step can also include daily writing goals. Some authors plan how many words or pages per day they will write.

I’ve set goals for myself as a writer by making them reachable and attainable. This year I have set a goal to write at least one scene for my novel per week and at least one other piece,

whether it be memoir or essay, per week. That can mean just making notes, writing a first draft, or revising a draft.

As long as your goals keep you moving forward and you’re making progress, then you know you’re headed in the right direction.

Once you have your goals set, the next step in accountability to yourself is writing down what you accomplish each day. You can use a daily calendar just for writing or keep track of your

daily accomplishments on your computer. I designed a custom monthly writing calendar. It helps me track what I write daily, whether or not I’ve met my goal for the week, and it has

space for ideas for future writing pieces. I also have a spot to keep track of books I’m reading for that month. I use abbreviations to keep the daily writing easier and to save space. As I review each completed month, I can go back to see what I’ve accomplished and keep track of when I wrote each piece.

Whether you use something pre-made or customize something for yourself, use whatever works for you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

A third, and perhaps most important, aspect in accountability in your writing is taking care of yourself as a writer. Than can mean giving yourself space and not being hard on yourself if

you don’t reach your goals each day or each week.

Flexibility and refreshment are paramount to your health as a writer. It also frees up your creativity and can actually help you produce more quality writing in the long run.

I enjoy writing in my journal, reading fiction or memoir, and watching a good movie with my family. Taking a walk, listening to music, talking with your family members, and just taking time to sit and enjoy life are all ways you can be good to

yourself—and ultimately accountable—as a writer.

Learn to celebrate your accomplishments and your uniqueness as a writer. That’s one of the best ways to be accountable—to yourself!

A 21 Day Refresh Intensive E-Course!

Dawn is now offering a 21 Day Refresh Intensive Course that enables you to Activate Your Intuition, Honor Your Preferences and Listen to Your Life Messages. It is available for purchase as a downloadable PDF so you can take it any time for your refreshment!

About Me

Dawn is a watercolor and collage artist, writer, Host of #JournalChat Live and Creative and Social Media Consultant. She enjoys sharing insights, humor, and encouragement as she shares from her life experiences. She enjoys keeping a journal and reading spiritual texts to help keep the light on. Hope you enjoy perusing the blog posts and in the process, get to know her a bit better. Enjoy your stay!

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My Website: www.dawnherring.net

You can check out my website: www.dawnherring.net. There you will find info on my writing services, my bio and journaling resources and my book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child. Enjoy your stay!

#JournalChat Live on Twitter

#JournalChat Live is on the First Sunday of each month at 4 EST/1 PST on Twitter. Check out my new blog to sign up for Refresh Journal which will give you all the details!

Refresh Sessions Now Available!

If you desire to discover what Your Authentic Refreshment might be so you can enhance and benefit your life, you'll welcome to purchase a 30 minute Refresh Session with Dawn **by phone or Skype, initiating the discovery process toward Your Authentic Refreshment. (A 30 Minute Refresh Session is $75.)

PLEASE NOTE: REFRESH SESSIONS BY PHONE/SKYPE ARE CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE; REFRESH SESSIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE BY AND THROUGH EMAIL.

My eBook: The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child

I'm so excited to share with you my new ebook, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child.

The Birthday Wall is my detailed, step-by-step instructional book that shows how to create a multi-dimensional, colorful visual collage to help celebrate your child's Birthday. As creator of this family tradition, I share how to research, plan, gather, create and display all the elements of your child's birthday wall which can help affirm, validate, and show appreciation for your child.

Follow this link which takes you to the Parent to Parent page of HSLDA's Home School Court Report. In their Sept/Oct 2009 edition and on this page, My reason for Homeschooling has been published under Dawn H. You're welcome to check it out!